The French New Wave: A New Look

Naomi Greene

November, 2007
Paper, 144 pages, 10 black and white
ISBN: 978-1-905674-12-1
Wallflower Press
$20.00

The French New Wave was perhaps the biggest—and briefest—explosion in the history of world cinema, with over one hundred French directors shooting debut features between 1958 and 1964. Its aftershocks are still being felt today. Through the work of such directors as Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, filmmakers came to be seen as outstanding artists rather than mere studio technicians, paving the way for contemporary cinematic auteurs such as Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodovar, and Luc Besson. This volume begins by tracing the social and cultural changes of post-war France that gave birth to the New Wave, then examines in detail the careers of artists like Alain Renais and Jean-Luc Godard. The French New Wave: A New Look is a concise and accessible account of a crucial movement in film history.

Related Subjects

• Film

Series

• Short Cuts (Wallflower Press)

About the Author

Naomi Greene is professor emeritus of French and film studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara and has written books on Antonin Artaud, René Clair, and Pier Paolo Pasolini.

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